Group sues over California’s new anti-Semitism law, saying it will stifle US criticism of Israel
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee is challenging a new California law designed to protect Jewish students from discrimination, arguing it is unconstitutionally vague and violates their free speech rights, the Associated Press reports.
The federal complaint in the US, filed yesterday in San Jose, seeks to invalidate legislation Governor Gavin Newsom signed last month, creating an Office of Civil Rights to help schools identify and prevent anti-Semitism.
The new law, which takes effect January 1, does not define anti-Semitism, but gives educators the impression that they could be charged with discrimination “if they expose their students to ideas, information, and instructional materials that may be considered critical of the State of Israel and the philosophy of Zionism”, according to the complaint.
Jenin Younes, national legal director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, says the lack of guidance has a chilling effect on speech among educators.
“They censor themselves very broadly because they don’t know what’s going to get them into trouble,” she told AP.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of individual teachers and students in California public schools, and the Los Angeles Educators for Justice in Palestine.
In the complaint, middle school science teacher Jonah Olson says students at his rural, largely Christian school district often ask him what it means to be Jewish. He responds in part by saying that his Judaism does not include support for the State of Israel, and now he fears that might violate the law.
Parents who are part of the lawsuit say they fear their children will be prevented from learning about differing perspectives on Israel, Palestinians, and the Middle East.
Saudi Crown Prince MBS to visit White House as Trump pushes Riyadh to join Abraham Accords
Mohammed bin Salman will meet US President Donald Trump in Washington on November 18, a White House official has said.
The upcoming visit comes as Trump looks to expand the Abraham Accords, under which Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates normalised relations with Israel in 2020.
“I hope to see Saudi Arabia go in, and I hope to see others go in. I think when Saudi Arabia goes in, everybody goes in,” Trump told Fox News last month.
The Saudis have been reluctant to join without significant steps being taken towards Palestinian statehood.
